Map with a description of the 48 kos parikrama (approx. 96 miles circle) around the holy city of Kurukshetra, displayed at Ban Ganga/Bhishma Kund

The 48 kos parikrama is a parikrama (a circumbabulatory pilgrimage) of various Mahabharata-related and other Vedic-era tirthas (Hindu sacred sites) around the holy city of Kurukshetra in the state of Haryana, India.[1][2][3][4]

Associated with Krishna and the Mahabharata, it is an important place of pilgrimage for Hindus. It is one of three major pilgrimages related to Krishna in North India, the others being the "Braj parikarma" in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh state and "Dwarka parkarma" at Dwarkadhish Temple in Gujarat state.

Kurukshetra Development Board

Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB) was established to develop the 48 Kos Parikrama of Kurukshetra, its tirthas and related activities.[5]

Main sites

Hindu and Jain pilgrimage

Krishna, Kaurava and Pandava visited and lived in this area, and it is revered as their Karma Bhūmi (most sacred land of virtuous deeds) also related to the five classical elements of Hinduism called Pancha Tattva. Brahma Sarovar is the focal site of this circuit, which can be subdivided into various other itineraries.

Within Kurukshetra, along with Brahma Sarovar, other important sites are Jyotisar (place of "Gitaupadesha" - the first Upadeśa or discourse of Bhagavad Gita by Krishna)[6][7] and Sannihit Sarovar (Hindu genealogy registers of Kurukshetra are kept here).[8] Pilgrims also visit the Bhishama kund, Surya kund and Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple (where Pandavas along with Krishna prayed to Shiva and received his blessings for victory in the battle of Mahabharata)[9][10]

In addition, pilgrims also visit Pehowa, where the most revered sites are Saraswati tirtha and Prithudak tirtha. Pehowa is an ancient city and its religious significance is mentioned in several puranas, such as Skanda Purana (1st to 5th century CE), Markandeya Purana (4th to 6th century CE) and Vamana Purana (5th to 11th century CE).[11]

In Yamunanagar district, Kapal Mochan (Kapal Mochan (visited by Rama)[12] and Sri Sarasvati Udgam Tirath at Adi Badri (place where deified mother goddess Sarasvati is revered because the sacred Sarasvati River enters the plains from the foothills of shivalik range) are also important sacred sites.

Many pilgrims like to trace their genealogy going back hundreds of generation, trace prior visits by their ancestors and record their own visit in the Hindu genealogy registers of Kurukshetra and Hindu genealogy registers of Pehowa maintained by Pandas (professional genealogists).[13][14][15]

List of most important sacred sites
  • Kurukshetra: Brahma Sarovar, Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple, Sannihit Sarovar, Jyotisar, Hindu genealogy registers of Kurukshetra
  • Pehowa: Saraswati tirtha and Prithudak tirtha
  • Yamunanagar district: Kapal Mochan and Adi Badri

Buddhist pilgrimage

Buddha had visited Sthaneshwar and gave discourse on the banks of Brahma Sarovar where a Bodh Stupa was built.[16] Stupa has five structures of brunt brick, first three from Kushana period, 4th from Gupta period, and the last from Verdana period and later medieval period. During Harshavardhana reign, a 3 meters wide compound wall was built.[16]

For the Buddhist pilgrims, the most important sites are Brahma Sarovar and the Bodh Stupa on its northwestern flank. Other Buddhist pilgrimage sites nearby Buddhist sites include Chaneti, Topra, and Adi Badri Sharirika stupa. Many pilgrims prefer to follow the path taken by Buddha along Grand Trunk Road in Haryana. Stupas, pagodas and places in the order of travel by Buddha are:

Sikh pilgrimage

Several Sikh gurus had visited Sthaneshwar, Pehowa and Kapal Mochan for the holy dip.

In Kurukshetra, Sikh pilgrims visit Brahma Sarovar and the "Gurudawara Pehli Patshai" (just next to Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple on the south bank of Brahma Sarovar where the ninth Guru Tegh Bahadur stayed at). Following the trail of Sikh gurus, the pilgrims also visit Pehowa as well as Kapal Mochan. Kapal Mochan was visited by Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh after Battle of Bhangani in 1688 CE.[25][26]

Other important Sikh pilgrimage sites are Sadaura, Lohgarh (capital of Banda Singh Bahadur)[27] and Badkhalsa in Sonipat (where Bhai Kushal offered his head to retrieve Guru Teg Bhadur's head beheaded by mughals so that it can be taken to Anandpur Sahib}.[28][29]

Genealogy registers

Hindu genealogy registers of Kurukshetra are kept at Pehowa and Sannihit Sarovar.[8]

Number of visitors

In 2019, over 40 lakh (4 million) people had attended the Gita Mahotsav festival in December.[5]

Tirtha development

Govt is undertaking steps to revive ancient Sarasati river, develop ghats and in-situ plantation of panchavati trees.[30] Visitors facilities such as roads, shades, water, toilet, landscaping, parking, cafe, interpretation centres etc. are also being developed.

The Panchavati trees, are trees scared to Indian-origin religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, such trees are the Vata (ficus benghalensis, Banyan), Ashvattha (ficus religiosa, Peepal), Bilva (aegle marmelos, Bengal Quince), Amalaki (phyllanthus emblica, Indian Gooseberry, Amla), Ashoka (Saraca asoca, Ashok), Udumbara (ficus racemosa, Cluster Fig, Gular), Nimba (Azadirachta indica, Neem) and Shami (prosopis spicigera, Indian Mesquite).[31] See also sacred groves of India.

From June 2014 to July 2021, ₹31.48 crore have been spent by the Haryana government on the development and upgrade of 81 tirthas of '48-kos parikrama'. Improving the standard of cleanliness of tiraths has been raised an issue. Ghats, and visitor facilities, such as toilet, shelter, water, parking, etc. are being developed.[32]

In 2021, it was announced that to develop Kurukshetra as a cultural hub, the by the Government of India will develop the Buddha Haryana circuit and a Sikh museum in Kurukshetra as all 10 Sikh gurus and Buddha had made yatra (pilgrimage) to Kurukshetra.[32]

List of pilgrimage sites in 48 kos parikrama

At least 134 Tirthas (sacred sites) have been identified.[30] Some of the pilgrimages are listed below:[33]

Tirthas of Kurukshetra district

Tirthas of Jind district

Tirthas of Panipat district

50. Tarntauk Yaksha, Sinkh

Tirthas of Kaithal district

Tirthas of Karnal district

Festivals

Majority of the tourists visit Kurukshetra during sacred events, specifically Somvati Amavasya, solar eclipse, Gita Mahotsav and to perform post-death rituals only.[5]

Gita Mahotsav

International Gita Mahotsav (on varying dates in November or December based on the Vikram Samvat lunar calendar), Saraswati Jayanti (also known as the Vasant Panchami, on the fifth day of spring around February or March) and Holi festivals are celebrated at Brahma Sarovar every year. During the International Gita Mahotsav, more than 300 national and international stalls are set up around the Brahma Sarovar.[35]

Gita Deepotsav

Jyotisar is one of the important site where the Gita International Festival is held every year in December. This also entails a Gita Deepotsav (Gita festival of lights) during which hundreds of thousands of traditional earthen diya lamps are lit on the banks of Brahma Sarovar, Sannihit Sarovar and Jyotisar Sarovar. For example, 300,000 lamps were lit in December 2020.[36]

Revival of tirtha festivals

Historically each of more than 134 tirthas in the 48 Kos Parikrama of Kurukshetra use to have own unique festival. With passage of time, several of this tirthas have faded into oblivion and several such festivals have become extinct. To conserve the religious and cultural heritage these tirtha-specific festivals and fairs will be revived. This will also boost the local economy. In order to revive, the Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB) is identifying the fairs and religious events held at each tirthas (pilgrimage sites).[5]

Kurukshetra Prasadam - Channa laddu speciality prasadam

Just like Mathura peda as prasāda (consecrated food offered as blessing) is a specialty of Braj Krishna circuit in Mathura area, the sweet laddu made from the roasted channa (Indian chichpea) will be used as the geo-specialty food prasāda of various tirthas within 48 kos kurukshetra prikarma. This will be called Kurukshetra Prasadam. Compared to other sweets such as barfi or peda, the laddu does not spoil easily and has a longer shelf life at room temperature. Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB) has advised all the sweet shops if any tourist or pilgrim asks for prasad then only chana laddoo must be given. KDB will open 5 shops of its own to sell channa laddu as Kurukshetra Prasadam.[37]

See also

General
Krishna related pilgrimages
Other religious
Vedic era

References

  1. ↑ "Kurukshetra map". kurukshetra.nic.in. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  2. ↑ "Haryana Tourism". Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "Development of all pilgrimage sites located within a radius of 48 kos (miles) of Kurukshetra would be carried out". Chief Minister's Office, Haryana. 11 October 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  4. ↑ "The 48 Kos Kurukshetra Region". harekrsna.com. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Fairs at ‘tirthas’ in five Haryana districts to be revived, The Tribune, 23 Aug 2021.
  6. ↑ Jyotisar Archived 19 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine Kurukshetra district website.
  7. ↑ "Jyotisar". Haryana Tourism Corporation Limited. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Tirath in Kurukshetra - Sannehit Sarovar". Kurukshetra district website. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  9. ↑ Dev Prasad (2010). Krishna: A Journey through the Lands & Legends of Krishna. Jaico Publishing House. pp. 216–. ISBN 978-81-8495-170-7.
  10. ↑ "Religious Places in Kurukshetra: Sthaneswar Mahadev Mandir". Kurukshetra District website. Archived from the original on 22 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  11. ↑ Kurukshetra Development Board can get the responsibility of Saraswati Tirtha, Dainik Jagran, 4 Feb 2019.
  12. ↑ yamunanagar.nic.in: History of Kapal Mochan
  13. ↑ Tracing your Asian roots Archived 26 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine www.overseasindian.in.
  14. ↑ Hindu Pilgrimage Marriage Records www.movinghere.org.uk.
  15. ↑ 10 Places Across The World That Help You Trace Your Ancestors, India Times, 29 Jan 2016.
  16. 1 2 3 "Buddhist Stupa At Kurukshetra". The Buddhist Forum. 31 March 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  17. ↑ Dhamma patthana, dhamma.org.
  18. ↑ Aastha Pugdal Pagoda at Kumaspur (Kamas Nigam in Sonepat, SDBST.
  19. ↑ Khattar announces Rs100 cr to develop Saraswati, Topra Kalan, The Tribune, 11-Apr-2015
  20. ↑ Park for Ashoka stalled?, DNA India News, 7-Nov-2016
  21. ↑ HM Elliot & John Dawson (1871), Tarikh I Ferozi Shahi - Records of Court Historian Sams-i-Siraj The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians, Volume 3, Cornell University Archives, pp 352-353
  22. ↑ Corporation, Haryana Tourism. "Buddhist Stupa Chaneti - Places of interest - Yamuna Nagar - Haryana Tourism Corporation Limited". destination. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  23. ↑ "Buddhist Stupa, Chaneti, Yamunanagar (Buddhist Stupa), circa 3rd Century BC" (PDF).
  24. ↑ "Buddhist Stupa At Chaneti". The Buddhist Forum. 31 March 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  25. ↑ G.S., Randhir (1990). Sikh shrines in India. New Delhi: The Director of Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. pp. 42–43.
  26. ↑ Charitar 71, Charitar of Kapal Mochan, Charitropakhyan, Dasam Granth, Guru Gobind Singh
  27. ↑ singh, Dr. Ganda (1964). Banda Singh Bahadur(in Punjabi. Sikh Itihaas Research Board, SGPC, AMRITSAR.
  28. ↑ Pioneer, The. "CM unveils statue of Kushal Singh Dahiya". The Pioneer. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  29. ↑ Singh, Darshan (2003). Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur. Anamika Publishers & Distributors. ISBN 9788179750322.
  30. 1 2 Scheme for students in haryana plant trees get 10 extra marks, Dainik Jagran, 26 July 2021.
  31. ↑ Panchvati trees, greenmesg.org, accessed 26 July 2021.
  32. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Cleanliness of tiraths a challenge in Haryana, Hindustan Times, 27 July 2021.
  33. ↑ "Tirthas of dist. Kurukshetra" (PDF). kurukshetra.nic.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  34. ↑ Monuments & Sites in Haryana, Archaeological Survey Of India, page 34-35.
  35. ↑ The Kurukshetra trail!, Asian Age, 10 Dec 2019.
  36. ↑ 3L diyas to light up Kurukshetra on December 25, The Tribune, 23 Dec 2020.
  37. ↑ Chana laddoo to be ‘Kurukshetra prasadam’, The Tribune, 1 March 2020.
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